Shoe-clasp



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' J; C. HAMMOND, Jr), 8; T. E. KING.

SHOE GLASB}. v N0.301;884. I Patented July 15,1884;

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llNirEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. HAMMOND, JR, OF ROCKVILLE, AND THEODORE E. KING, OF YVESIPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SHOE- CLASP.

VGPECII-ICATION forming part of llietters Patent No. 301,884, dated July 15, 1884.

Application filed April 7, 1884.

To 015 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J OSEPH C. HAMMOND, J r., of Rockville, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, and THEODORE E. KING, of l/Vestport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement pertaining to Shoe-Clasps, of which the followingis aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a top view of the tongue-plate with the tongue down or closed. Fig. 2 isa side View of the whole device with the parts engaged, the tongue being shown in full lines as open to its widest extent, and represented as closed by the dotted outline. Fig. 3 is a view in crosssection of the tongue-plate and closed tongue on plane denoted by line 00 m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aview in section of the same part on the same plane as of Fig. 3, but with the tongue shown asopen. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the t0ngue-plate with the tongue open.

This shoe-clasp is one of that class which finds its commonest use and application upon that kind of overshoes commonly known as arctics. The catch-plate is to be attached to one flap, the tongue-plate to the other. The tongue is to beentered in the catch-plate, and then turned down into the position shown in Fig. 2.

The improvement forming the subj ect-matter of these Letters Patent consists in certain details of construction, whereby certain advantages are attained in the use and operation of the shoe-clasp.

The letter a denotes the tongue; I), the tongueplate, by which is meant the plate to which the tongue is hinged or pivoted; and 0 denotes the catch-plate, by which is meant the plate which catches upon the tongue when the parts are locked together. The tongue-plate is forked orbifurcated at its rear end, (meaning by rear end that end which is next the catchplate.) The tongue swings or rotates in this bifurcation, the pivot of the tongue being 10- cated underneath the tongue-plate. The letter d denotes the pivot-pin for the tongue. This pivot-pin is attached to the tongue-plate by having the tongue-plate doubled upon itself, the fold underneath partially embracing (No model.)

i the ends of the pivot-pin, and holding thepivotpin between itself and the upper part of the tongue-plate. It will be observed that this construction of the tongueplate causes the tongue-plate, or a portion of it, to extend rearward of the tongue, forming there a bearingsurface for the catch-plate, the result of which is, in use, that the whole structure is caused to move together when movement of the catchplate is had, which unity of motion in the parts of the shoe-clasp preserves the two flaps of the shoe in a better relation to each other than in the case where the catch-plate can be tilted downward independently ofthe tongudplate when the parts are buckled together. The pivoting of the tongue below or underneath the tongue-plate results in anadvantage in the use and operation of the shoe-clasp, in that as the catch-plate pulls rearward upon the tongue when that tongue is in the closed position it tends to throw the point of the tongue down upon the tongue-plate, instead of tending to lift it from the tongue-plate, as 'is the case when the tongue is pivoted substantially on top of the tongue-plate. By thus pivoting the tongue under or underneath the ton gue-plate another advantage is attained, in that the face of the tongue-plate, from its rear end and to a point forward of the pivot, is devoid of all projections. NVhen such projections are present, in attempting to lock such a device together, the result is apt to be that portions of the fabric of the shoe are caught and pinched between the parts, which defect is entirely cured in our present shoe-clasp. As already pointed out, the pivot-pin of the tongue is secured to the tongue-p1ate in a very I simple and efficient manner by simply doubling the under leaf of the tongue-plate back upon thenpper leaf thereof. The bifurcations at the rear end of the tongue-plate have a slight lateral elasticity, and the tongue is made at the point e slightly broader than elsewhere, and its breadth is such that it must in looking and unlocking the tongue pass through said bifurcation by springing the forks thereof apart. This insures a slight locking action both when the tongue is opened and when it is closed.

In Figs. 2 and 4 the tongue is shown opened to the utmost extent of which it is capable, it being so shaped (in this case partly flattened near its pivot-socket) as to there strike against a cross-bar or inward projection on the tongueplate which is back of the tongue, as shown in the drawings, and thus forms a stop which prevents the further opening of the tongue. This stop limits the forward motion of the tongue in opening, and holds it with the tongue pointing upward when opened in the most convenient position for its engagement with the catch-plate. In the absence of such a stop the tongue is liable to fall so far over, when opened, as to make it very inconvenient for the wearer of the shoe when an attemptis made to engage the catch-plate on the tongue.

\Ve claim as our improvement- 1. In combination, the catch plate, the tongue pivoted directly to the tongue-plate, and the tongue-plate extending rearward of the pivot and in contact with the catch-plate when the parts are engaged, all substantially as described.

2. In combination, the catch plate, the tongue pivoted directly to the tongue-plate, and the tongue-plate having a smooth surface from a point in the rear of the pivot to a point in front of the pivot, all substantially as described.

3. In combination, in a clasp, atongue-plate bcarin g a tongue pivoted directly to the tongueplate and between its bifurcated ends by a pivot arranged below the surface of the plate,

all substantially as described, and for the pur- 5 pose set forth.

JOSEPH O. HAMMOND, JR; THE(). E. KING.

\Vitnesses:

BRIGHAM PAYNE, GELoN V. VEST. 

